Chapter 105 Blind Date
The house was quiet for a moment, then quickly became lively again.
The women chatted about family matters, talking about trivial matters such as taking care of their husbands and raising their children. From time to time, they glanced at the young girls in the room. Once they found their target, they would smile knowingly at the lady opposite them.
They came here not just to have a feast.
Everyone has children. If you meet someone of the right age and who suits your taste, you naturally want to find a way to get in touch with his or her parents.
The northern border is different from the capital, where there is a small banquet every three days and a big banquet every five days. These women who have lived in the back house for a long time can only find a chance to see their children at this time.
Therefore, the girls present were all dressed up beautifully, as if they had been prepared. They stood behind their mothers and shyly stirred their handkerchiefs.
Chen Chunxing realized something was wrong as soon as he came in. After being secretly looked at by several ladies, he felt like there was a nail under his butt.
She had calculated everything, except that today's event would be a blind date!
No wonder I saw so many handsome young men outside just now, all dressed so festively that it made me wonder how many grooms there were!
Seeing that there was tea on the table, Chen Chunxing poured himself a cup, held it in his hand and took a sip, refusing to look up again.
Fortunately, when she revealed her identity just now, she said that she was just a maid and there was no elder around. Even if a lady was attracted by her fair and tender face, she would not know where to start.
These days, people pay attention to the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. How can you just ask a girl if she wants to get married? There is no such saying.
Seeing this, the lady next to him pushed a plate of peach blossom pastry in front of Chen Chunxing and gestured with a smile.
"Honglu County is quite far from Yangjiatun. Miss Shen, you must have had a hard journey. Come eat something first. The wedding procession just left, so we'll probably have to wait a while."
Chen Chunxing replied: "I dare not trouble you, Madam. I will come by myself."
She was not afraid of strangers. After thanking them, she picked up a piece of cake with a smile and ate the whole plate of peach blossom cakes under the gaze of the female relatives.
The taste is actually quite ordinary.
Perhaps there were no good cooks at the border, or perhaps people in ancient times were too miserable and wanted to knead all the sweetness into their pastries.
Chen Chunxing ate and drank tea at the same time, chewing slowly, for fear that if he stopped, he would hear something he shouldn't hear.
She thought the lady was being so intimate with her because she was attracted to her, but after listening to her gossip for a while, she realized she was wrong.
"Madam Yang, despite her busy schedule, still found time to care about the marriages of the servants in the mansion. She is truly kindhearted..."
"Quanzi and my husband are like brothers, and I once saved his life on the battlefield. Now that he's getting married, as his sister-in-law, I naturally have to help..."
"I heard that the Jiang family's daughter is as beautiful as a flower. She can't be compared with the girls from our border..."
"Oh, that's not right. You should marry a virtuous woman. No matter how pretty she is, she's just a piece of skin. How can she be as cool and straightforward as a girl from a military family like us?"
Madam Yang suddenly turned her head and asked casually, "I heard that Miss Shen and the bride are both from Lin'an?"
Chen Chunxing's heart moved, and he nodded with a smile: "To be honest, Madam, before we were exiled, my family was a servant in the Jiang Mansion."
The women around her looked at her several times when they heard the sound.
Madam Yang seemed unaware and sighed, "The Jiang family originally came from the military. My husband has always admired Old Master Jiang. I never thought he would end up like this. It's truly sad."
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place fell silent.
Many female relatives subconsciously clenched their hands and looked at Madam Yang with an incomprehensible look.
Although there are not as many disputes in the military camp as in the court, as a person in the officialdom, one should know how to be cautious in words and deeds, and the same goes for family members.
The Earl of Kangping's Mansion committed the crime of treason. Ordinary people would not have time to hide, but from what Yang said, it seems that they want to get involved?
Chen Chunxing said nothing, picked up the teapot, and filled the cup in front of Madam Yang. Her movements were respectful, just like a maid.
Madam Yang felt a little uncomfortable. She raised her hand slightly to stop him. She pushed Chen Chunxing back to her side, held her hand, and shook it emotionally: "It's a pity that my eldest son has already been engaged, and my youngest is only five years old. Otherwise, I would have been shameless and argued with the Honglu County Magistrate!"
The meaning of this statement is too clear.
The female members of the family finally showed a hint of surprise, and they couldn't understand why the garrison commander's wife would attach so much importance to a mere maid?
However, Chen Chunxing did not respond, so no matter how itchy they felt, they could only hold it in.
"I heard that the Honglu County Magistrate is less than twenty years old this year?" Someone changed the subject.
They cared more about the young man than the little maid in front of them.
"I heard he's just eighteen!"
"That's quite young. I remember he was only in his fifties when he took office as the county magistrate."
"She's not bad looking, but her family background is a bit poor."
"Who among us doesn't come from humble beginnings? As long as a man is willing to work hard, there is no need to worry about not having a bright future!"
The women were so excited about the conversation that they turned to Chen Chunxing and asked, "Is your master really more handsome than Pan An?"
Chen Chunxing: “…”
She shook her head unwillingly: "Forgive my ignorance. I don't know what Pan An looks like. My master is better looking than my father anyway."
A brave girl asked curiously, "Is your father also handsome?"
Chen Chunxing quietly suppressed his conscience: "A lady just said it very well, that appearance is just skin and nails. In our country, the bigger and stronger a man is, the more praise he gets. My father is one of the best farmers, and everyone who sees him gives him a thumbs up."
She didn't talk about Xue Yongan, but talked about a lot of irrelevant things, confusing everyone.
I thought the rumored Honglu County Magistrate was just a rough man.
There was disappointment in the girls' eyes.
Those of them who grew up in military settlements are most interested in pretty boys. No matter how strong a man is, can he be stronger than his own father and brother? It's not surprising!
"It's Sister Li's eldest son who has caught my eye. I heard he's passed the imperial examination and became a student."
"Hey! How can you say that! Sister Li has already made it clear to me..."
"It's not that I want to butt in. You just said you were going to greet the Honglu County Magistrate, how come you changed your mind in the blink of an eye?"
Chen Chunxing lowered his head and drank tea hard, his heart in his throat.
Fortunately, women in ancient times were reserved, and no one would really peek at them, even though they were joking.
Again, if there were any elders from the Xue family present, then they would have seen each other, but since she was a woman without any relatives, how could she discuss marriage with the person concerned? If the news got out, would her reputation be ruined?
At this time, a servant came with a tray serving the dishes.
Chen Chunxing let out a long sigh.
She thought she was late, but it turned out to be too early.
After waiting for half a day, I almost didn’t find a marriage for myself!
Thinking of this, Chen Chunxing waved his hand to call Dong'er over, gritted his teeth and whispered, "Tell the master to throw away that damn peach blossom. It smells too much of rouge and is a disgrace to the family!"
Dong'er wanted to say something but stopped herself.
In the end, it was hard to point it out, it was clearly wintersweet...
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